Seanad Vote
By Emear Smithers
On the Friday 4th of
October’13 we are been
asked to vote to remove
the Seaned because it is
felt that we don’t need
this step into making
new laws. Seanad is part
of our constitution that
is why we the people
have to vote for it to be
removed.

The Dáil is where bills are debated and start to become a law
in our constitution.
Seanad is the second house
in Ireland’s parliament. Then it
was sent to the Seanad to be
debated again to make sure it is
legal and doesn’t go against our
constitution.
Then it is sent to the President
of Ireland to sign the bill into
law. If the President doesn’t
have a background in law they
may refer it to the high court
to get clarification that it’s not
going against our constitution.
The government argument is
that we don’t need this step
because it is costing the country
20 million euros a year.
Most of the government parties
what us to vote to remove Seanad the only government party
that is against it is Fianna Fáil
would are in opposition to the
ruling party Fianna Gael.

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Ballyfermot Swimming Pool

Ballyfermot
Swimming Pool
Closure
By Emear Smithers

Dublin City Council
paid €25 million euros on building this
new leisure centre
in Ballyfermot.

The leisure centre opened on
the 4th of November’08. The
swimming pool was closed
on the 15th of April’13 due to
loose tiles in the swimming
pool.
Don Daly Said “The
swimming pools work is
happening and has been
totally stripped of all the
tiles and the next stage

of works will commence
shortly. The Ballyfermot
leisure centre said that it
will be reopening in late
spring’14.”
The local community are
wondering who will be paying for the swimming pool
repairs and how long will the
community have to wait for
the repairs to be completed?
One of the delays in getting
the swimming pool open as
fast as possible is that Dublin
City Council and the Spanish
company are in dispute that
who should be paying for the
repairs.
Dublin City Council started

Ballyfermot Swimming
Pool Closure
By Emear Smithers

the building work started in
October’ 04 and was completed in June’08. The building was handed over to be fitted out before it was opened
to the public.
The Spanish companies
point is that Dublin City
Council took charge of the
building and their work had
passed the building regulations and the tiles started to
falling off was five years later.
How are they responsible?
So the case has gone to the
courts and we are waiting for
the final decision.

Ballyfermot Swimming Pool

Fire in Ballyfermot
By Emear Smithers
A major incident happens in Ballyfermot
on Sunday evening
at 8pm. This left two
young men fighting for
their lives.

A major fire broke out at 46
La Fanu Road and the resident of Mrs Ann Murphy aged
73 raised the alarm. Who
lives there with her two sons
Sean aged 32 and Alan aged
26.
When the local Gardaí and
Fire Brigade arrive to assets
the incident. Supervising
Officer Sergeant Stephen
O’Hair took charge of the
scene.
Mrs Murphy was very upset
because her two sons were

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in the back garden. The
Gardaí couldn’t get to the
back garden until the fire was
brought under control.
The fire brigade got the fire
under control and rescued
Mrs Murphy’s two sons. Who
were both badly injured in
the fire. They were taken to
St. James Hospital by ambulance for treatment and are
said to be in a stable condi-

House Fire in Ballyfermot

tion with 1st and 2nd degree
burns.
Detective Sergeant Harry
McGonagall was waiting to
speak to the two men about
the incident.
The Gardaí were concerned
because Sean is in involved
the Distended Republican
Army and has served a seven year prison sentence for
explosive.

Ballyfermot
Library
Re- Opens

Ballyfermot Library

By Emear Smithers

Finally the Ballyfermot
library is open four
years after it closed
for repairs to the roof.
Which was meant to
take one year.

A lot of the people of Ballyfermot thought that there was a
shortage of money and they
couldn’t finish the building.
While some of the people
knew what was happening
because the Dublin City
Counsel where meeting the
residence and asked what
they would like the library to
look like when it was finished.
The Lord Mayor of Dublin
Oisín Quinn was one of many
high profile people to attend
the grand opening as well as
members of the public.
While the main library was
closed the people of Ballyfermot was provide access to
a mini library in the Ballyfer-

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mot Civic Center. This library
could not whole the full range
of books, but did offer the
best service that was possible,
Even though they didn’t have
the full range of books they
did offer the full range of
services. You could order in
books if you wanted to read.
There was a small computer
room with a limited number
of computers. There was no
study space or anywhere to
sit and read the books.
The new library took four
years because there where
more grants available and
instead of just fixing the roof
they decide to refurbish the
whole building.

Una Gomez the senior
library in Ballyfermot Library said ”that the people
where delighted how the
library was finished and
that people like the new
look.”

Fire in
Ballyfermot
Contiued from page 2

The eyewitness
said it sounded like
explosive bang
before the fire
erupted.

With these worrying statements because of explosive
sound that they called the
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) to make sure that
there were no hazardous explosive devices in the shed.
Commandant O’Hara asked
that the perimeter be push
further back because they
feared that there could be
hazardous explosive devices
to insure the public safety.
The EOD are still investigating if there are any incendiary devices.
One of the eyewitness Mrs
McGeddigan told how she
helps Mrs Murphy when the
fire broke out. Mrs McGeddigan said she was in her
kitchen with her two sons
Mark aged 6 and Niall age 7
cooking rashers and sausages when she heard Mrs Murphy shouting on the street.
Mrs McGeddigan rand 999.
Another witness Anton
O’Hare aged 62 said he was
“listening to music up stairs
when he heard a sound like
an explosion and then a
bright light.” The two men ran
from the shed on fire. One
man fell to the ground and
rolled t on the ground to help
put out the fire and he pulled
the second men down as
well.